Filed under: Coupes, Sedans/Saloons, Ford, Australia
Ford developing new rear-drive platform in Dearborn
Ford has apparently finally heard the call and green-lighted development of a new global rear wheel drive platform and a family of vehicles to be built on it. However, unlike General Motors, Ford will not rely on its Australian division to do the heavy lifting. Since the collapse of the U.S. dollar has made the United States a low cost country, the development of the new platform has been moved back to Dearborn. The most recent attempt at a rear-drive architecture that debuted on the latest Australian Ford Falcon was something of a debacle for the company. Unlike Holden, which designed its RWD Zeta platform to be built in right- and left-hand-drive versions, the new Falcon platform is right-hand drive only. This new Ford architecture to be developed near Detroit, however, will spawn models for both the Ford and Lincoln brands, including an all-new Mustang. With Ford making a major push to reduce weight in future models, hopefully these new cars will come in a lot lighter than the GM equivalents, as well.
[Source: Detroit News]
_opt_thumbnail.jpg)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
tbss_in_the_D 10:43AM (3/24/2008)
I think they could be a little late to the game? Maybe not. We will have to see.
Reply
John P. 10:53AM (3/24/2008)
Thank You Ford. Now don't let the bean counters ruin your engineers' great ideas!
Mr Mullally, Now's your chance to make us proud, by the way, you chickened out on the design of the new F150. Too bland. What's under the surface of that truck deserves more in the way of looks.
Reply
Randy 11:02AM (3/24/2008)
Hello all!
Now though I'm excited by this news, I'm thinking that Ford should be concentrating on production of it's own enclosed motorcycles, small cars (Ford Reflex). And um, please keep the scissor doors! :)
By the way, does anyone have an understanding as to why scissor doors are not popular among manufacturers? Is it a matter of the interior or the interior of the door getting wet of it rains? Or maybe the hinges were patented for Lambo at some point? That's had to have run out by now if that's the case! Anyone?
Reply
Mal Fuller 11:04AM (3/24/2008)
It's interesting to me that the US has become a "low cost country" for developing cars. Now if we could just become a desireable place for building cars again. Maybe Detroit's off to a good start since parts of it look like downtown Berlin after World War II.
Reply
AMcA 10:01PM (3/24/2008)
The US is a highly desirable place to build cars. BMW, M-B, Honda Toyota, Hyundai all have made huge investments in building cars in the US.
And that was before the dollar crashed. Expect more such investments.
TriShield 11:13AM (3/24/2008)
It's never too late.
Ford has always sold RWD cars albeit on terribly old architecture. It's about time a fresh, contemporary structure replaced the Panther platform and underpinned the redesigned Mustang coming.
Hopefully the cars look more original than Ford's 300C Me-Too concept pictured above though.
Reply
Andrew 11:17AM (3/24/2008)
I'll believe it when I see it.
Reply
Rob 11:23AM (3/24/2008)
This really is overdue. They need something to compete with the Chrysler 300/Dodge Charger and Pontiac G8. Obviously the Crown Vic/Grand Marquis is incapable of that.
Reply
Andrew L 11:48AM (3/24/2008)
But the Marauder was.... god I miss that car
Rob 11:58AM (3/24/2008)
Yeah, I don't know why they don't at least put in the 300 hp 32 valve version of the V8 and a six speed transmission in the Crown Vic/Grand Marquis as a short term measure.
tanooki2003 11:29AM (3/24/2008)
Honestly I'm not sure that they are really that capable of pulling it off, going by many disappointments they had in the past decade. I honestly would like to see Ford NA surprise me but honestly my excitement that I once had for this company has dried up since the death of the Lincoln Mark VIII, Ford Thunderbirds on the MN12 "super bird" chassis, not that ugly retro wannabe released in 2002, Taurus SHO, and the smaller FWD Mercury Cougar (Ford Cougar in Europe) which FIY was previously named the Ford Probe, sharing the same chassis as the last generation Probe.
Now with really not an exciting aerodynamic car on their lots (sedan or coupe) there is nothing for me to be excited about when it comes to Ford NA, especially if it is designed here. I have a feeling it will be more boring retro designs instead unless it came from Europe.
Reply
Gregg 12:46PM (3/24/2008)
Splitting hairs here, but the Probe was based on Mazda architecture. The Mercury Cougar was based on the Contour (Mondeo in Europe) which was a European, not Japanese, design.
tanooki2003 1:08PM (3/24/2008)
Oops my mistake. You are right. The Ford Probe was supposed to be re released back in 99 based on the Mondeo platform but due to to the differences of design the Probe name would quite not fit the coupe, sort of like how "Taurus" does not quite fit on a Ford 500". Yeah Ford was a little smarter back in those days. They dropped the name in favor of Cougar. Since Mercury in NA already had the name Cougar it was only feasible for it to be called the Mercury Cougar, not a Ford Cougar like in Europe.
Now if any of you can find any SVT models with the 2.5 V6, hang onto them because they may be as valuable as the Taurus SHO.
jamiepeterson2 11:32AM (3/24/2008)
fugly
Looks like a Chryslerbus 300 with twin blade shavers attached to it.
RWD is definitely on the downswing again because of CAFE. But I suppose sporty luxury cars will still use them, but Ford hasn't got any of those. Lincoln is a disaster.
Mustang is the only saving grace Ford has going for it. Looks like there will be a turbo4 'Tang in the near future as well. Bye bye V6 and V8 horsies.
Panther?...DOA.
How about a replacement for it? Would be nice, but probably not economically or environmentally feasible at present. You would definitely have to incorporate hybrid tech and or flex fuel options. Very costly selling features indeed.
Reply
mike884 1:13PM (3/24/2008)
Jamie, the crown vic/maquis are flex fuel, as have quite a few fords for the past 20 years almost. They just have not glorified to the extent GM has with big green signs and monster badges proclaiming FLEXFUEL, besides ethanol is not the future. And for all the RWD naysayers, it is just as economical as a FWD car, with better driving dynamics to boot.
jamiepeterson2 4:26PM (3/24/2008)
True. And that is one of Billy-boy Ford's shortcomings...failure to fully capitalize on all perceived developments.
Other fuel alternatives must be developed. In the future I see varied propulsion systems powering "the Car of Tomorrow". No one system will be prevalent. Gasoline is on the way out (not entirely though). Diesel is enjoying a small revival in Europe, but that can't last because it will drive up diesel prices enormously which is what is happening already. FlexFuel is a smart option to promote throughout the entire line-up. Hybrid tech is even better. The ultimate today is probably lithium battery or some form of hydrogen power.
To survive in the future, Ford must be represented in all of these fields.
imoore 11:34AM (3/24/2008)
What really bothers me abouth this story is that it doesn't mention anything about developing a product for Mercury. Sounds like Ford really is planning to drop the Mercury brand after all.
Reply
TriShield 12:00PM (3/24/2008)
Dropping Mercury is a very good thing and that's exactly what Mullaly is planning to do. Ford cannot afford to support all of their in-house brands anymore. Neither can GM.
Reply
tanooki2003 1:10PM (3/24/2008)
ZZZZZZZZZ
Daniel 1:59PM (3/24/2008)
Bull!
Killing Mercury is a terrible idea. Why should FoMoCo piss off all the Mercury fans. David Pearson and the number 21 Purolator Merc - now that was automotive perfection!
You don't strengthen your company by offing your loyal base.